Covid vaccine: Shangula dismisses viral audio clip

Health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula has warned the recent audio recordings alleging that the ministry is secretly administering the Covid-19 vaccine to patients in Katutura state hospital are false and irresponsible.

The recordings alleged that Covid-19 vaccines have already arrived at the Katutura hospital and patients injected with these shots were dying.

Shangula yesterday strongly warned the audio recordings do not only undermine the ongoing efforts of the healthcare workers to combat the spread of Covid-19 and provide care to those who are ill but could also lead to unnecessary loss of life as it seeks to dissuade citizens from seeking healthcare when they fall ill.

Shangula announced on Wednesday that the first batch of the Covid-19 vaccine is only expected to arrive in Namibia either by the end of January or sometime in February 2021.

To date, he said, Namibia has not received a single ampule of the Covid-19 vaccine. “It is a criminal offence for one to engage in such activities. The authors are being identified and the law will take its course. It is incomprehensible that individuals can make themselves guilty of such activities without any obvious benefit to themselves except to bring upon themselves misery,” Shangula reacted.

He urged the public to continue to have faith in the government that has consistently worked in the interest of all Namibians.

Shangula during a Covid-19 update yesterday said, one overzealous individual jumped on the bandwagon and exhorted the public not to agree to be injected. “This false information has been widely circulated on WhatsApp, Facebook and other social media platforms. It is unfortunate that despite repeated words of caution and education campaigns regarding the dissemination of false information on Covid-19, there are still some people who are spreading such fabrications,” Shangula stated.